


whatever you wanted (slipped out of my mind)

by lightningb0nes



Series: corruption au [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Corruption AU, Fighting, Magic, Malice - Freeform, Memory Loss, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Selectively Mute Link, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-11-06 09:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11032974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningb0nes/pseuds/lightningb0nes
Summary: He doesn’t know them, but he knows the Champions did not deserve their fate. His rage at the Calamity Ganon is powerful, like a storm inside his soul, and he can almost remember, if just for a moment; the soft, warm smile of Mipha, the sparkling, playful eyes of Urbosa, Daruk’s hearty, infectious laughter, the way Revali’s words would turn soft when he thought no one was paying attention. The memories are fleeting, hazy around the edges, but they fill Link with a determination that is almost familiar in it’s intensity.[or, the one where Link wakes up.]





	1. great plateau

Waking from the Shrine of Resurrection is disorienting at least, and absolutely terrifying at best. Link isn’t sure why he’s here, or what the voice in his head wants, but there’s a weight in the pit of his stomach and the distinct feeling that there’s something  _ missing _ . There’s a memory that’s just out of reach, a feeling that someone should be with him as he makes his way into the sunlight. 

But Link’s by himself, in shabby clothing he had found, with a strange device hanging from his hip, staring out at the world. 

The old man he meets seems to be the only other person atop the Great Plateau, and he’s strange, like he knows too much, like he’s been waiting for too long, showing up wherever Link travels to give him advice and tips on the Sheikah Slate and the shrines. It’s suspicious, and he gets the feeling the old man must know more than he lets on, but Link doesn’t know  _ anything _ except the way a sword feels in his hand and his own name, so he follows along with the old man’s instructions.

At the end, the man tells him to go to the Temple of Time, and Link prays to the Goddess at her statue, feeling the wash of power running over him. The man meets him on the roof and his entire being shifts from that of an old man to something much more regal. He tells Link that he’s the King of Hyrule, and it’s almost too much. King Rhoam tells him of the Calamity, of Zelda, and no matter how Link tries he can’t remember- not the Calamity, not Zelda, not his fellow Champions. King Rhoam looks at him with pity in his eyes and tells him to seek out Impa in Kakariko Village, and then he hands like the paraglider and vanishes. 

Finding Kakariko isn’t hard- he activates any Sheikah Towers he finds along the way and follows a path that should be well worn, should be trampled down from years of people on horseback following it, but it’s overgrown and wild as he walks through it. His surroundings are familiar, achingly so, but his actual memories are just out of reach. He feels like he’s drowning the closer he gets to Kakariko, the only thing he is sure of being the sword and shield in his hands. 

“So, you’re finally awake,” Impa greets him, smiling, “It has been quite a long time, Link.”

She tells him the history of Hyrule, of the Divine Beasts, of his lost memories. The Sheikah elder speaks of a warrior with the soul of a hero, a princess with the blood of the Goddess, of the other four Champions who fought so bravely, and of their fate. 

“Mipha of the Zora was first to fall,” She says grimly, and Link can feel his heart in his chest contract with sadness, feel the tears well up in his eyes, but he doesn’t know why. “The Waterblight still haunts the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, tormenting the Zora,” she continues, and Link does his best to steel his nerves for the news of the others. “Urbosa fell next, although it is said she did not go without a fight,” Impa says, and Link’s sword is heavy at his side. “Daruk followed shortly after, although I am told his grandson still lives in Goron City, and he and Urbosa share the same fate as Mipha,” she says, and she looks so heavy and weighted down. “The blights Ganon has created are still active even after 100 years,” she says, and then she pauses.

Link looks questioningly at her, and Impa sighs. “I suppose it would be wishful thinking for you to remember Revali?” She asks, and something inside of Link  _ twists _ at that name, something he can’t quite grasp onto, but it  _ hurts  _ when Impa continues speaking. “He fell, as the others did,” she says, and the tears in Link’s eyes spill down his face as Impa looks up at him. “I am so,  _ so  _ sorry, Link,” she says, and Link presses his hands into his eyes. 

He doesn’t know them, but he knows the Champions did not deserve their fate. His rage at the Calamity Ganon is powerful, like a storm inside his soul, and he can almost remember, if just for a moment; the soft, warm smile of Mipha, the sparkling, playful eyes of Urbosa, Daruk’s hearty, infectious laughter, the way Revali’s words would turn soft when he thought no one was paying attention. The memories are fleeting, hazy around the edges, but they fill Link with a determination that is almost familiar in it’s intensity. 

“I have hope,” Impa begins cautiously, “that beneath the Malice, the Champions may live on. It is only a hope, but anything that can be corrupted can be purified, and if anyone can still do that, Link, it’s you.” Her words are heavy, but Link nods, mind racing. If he can save the Champions and their people at the same time, then his eventual attack on the Calamity will be far stronger than if he went alone; and he would be saving the good, innocent people that the Blights torment. 

So Link accepts Impa’s quest for him, and when he leaves Kakariko Village, he has his Champion’s Tunic on and vengeance in his heart as he makes his way to the Zora’s Domain. 


	2. the zora's domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ve seen the way you work, and I have been searching for a man like you, Link, who carries himself well, I am in need of help in quelling the Malice inside of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta,” Sidon says, and his voice grows grave.
> 
> Link nods, raising his hands to speak once more. _What of the Princess?_ He asks, and Sidon’s face grows hard, eyes burning like fireflies trapped behind amber.
> 
> “She will be saved,” Sidon says quietly, “but only if you help us, Link.”

When Link finally makes his way to the top of the Lanayru Tower, there’s a Zora quivering in fear and looking over the edge. 

“I am Gruve, of the Zora!” he introduces himself, looking curiously at Link. “It is apparent that you are a traveller, but may I ask what brought you here?” 

Link shoots Gruve the most deadpan look in his arsenal, and the Zora flushes a curious blue color that matches his scales. “I, by order of Prince Sidon,” he starts, and the name brings that same tingle of familiarity to the back of Link’s mind, “am searching for a Hylian! Or, I was, but I fell asleep.” 

Gruve tells his tale and points out the bridge that the Zora prince is on, bemoaning that he can’t get Sidon’s attention, but he perks up as he looks Link over again. “But you are a Hylian, are you not?” He asks, and Link nods cautiously. “Well, then, my luck is improving!” he calls out for Sidon once more, and then looks cautiously at the river below when the prince takes no notice. 

He eventually sends Link to find Sidon on his own, and Link can’t help but show off a little as he takes a running leap off of the tower, letting the paraglider take him down nice and easy to Inogo Bridge. There’s a red Zora standing on the bridge, the colors of his scales just slightly familiar, and he calls out to Link from his place high on the bridge.

“Say, hey there! Young one!” He calls, and Link’s a little offended. He’s over a hundred years old, even if he doesn’t look it, but he certainly doesn’t look like a _child_ by any standard. “Up top! Above you!” the Zora calls, jumping from his perch and doing a flip, landing directly in front of Link. He’s tall, intimidatingly so, and dressed finer than any of the other Zora he’s seen so far, so Link figures this must be the prince.

“Pardon the entrance, but you’re a Hylian, aren’t you? I was hoping perhaps you’d have a moment to talk,” he says, and Link nods carefully. “Aha, yes, a Hylian! I knew it!” He cheers, grinning with his razor-sharp teeth on display as he introduces himself. “I am Sidon, the Zora Prince!” 

Link traces the letters to his own name with his hands in the air, watching with relief as recognition flares in his eyes. “Link? How unusual it is to meet one who speaks with his hands, but I am quite fluent, so you need not worry, my quiet friend,” he says, smiling again. “Link is a fantastic name, although I can’t quite shake the feeling I have heard it somewhere before,” Sidon continues, and Link stays quiet, resisting the urge to explain that yeah, he’s  _ that  _ Link. “Well, in any case, it is a strong name! To be honest, I’ve been watching you as you’ve made your way here,” Sidon says, and Link raises an eyebrow. “I’ve seen the way you work, and I have been searching for a man like you, Link, who carries himself well, I am in need of help in quelling the Malice inside of the Divine Beast Vah Ruta,” Sidon says, and his voice grows grave. 

Link nods, raising his hands to speak once more.  _ What of the Princess?  _ He asks, and Sidon’s face grows hard, eyes burning like fireflies trapped behind amber. 

“She will be saved,” Sidon says quietly, “but only if you help us, Link.” Story of Link’s life, apparently. 

So Link nods once more, and lets Sidon explain the path to the Zora’s domain that he needs to follow, the Zora tracing it along his map for him. “Be careful, as the monsters ahead will attack with electricity- here, take this,” The prince says, pressing an Electric Elixir into Link’s hands. “It’s useless for Zora, but it should help with your passage to the Zora’s Domain,” he continues, and Link nods, standing on tiptoes to put a hand on the Zora’s shoulder. 

He nods at Sidon, and the prince nods back before diving into the river, leaving Link to turn to the path through the cliffs alone. 

It’s slippery, so climbing is definitely out, and whenever he stops moving he can hear the wailing of Waterblight Mipha echoing down between the cliffs that frame Zora River. The Malice-infected beast sounds less like it’s angry and more like it’s  _ hurt _ , like there’s a young girl inside of the scourge who wants nothing more than to be free from her suffering. The rain pounds down on him from above as Link marches on, determination keeping his feet moving even as the downpour soaks through his tunic, shooting down any enemies in his path. 

Sidon races down the river ahead of him, stopping and waiting for Link every once in awhile, and a memory tugs at the back of Link’s mind. A much younger Sidon, darting down the river as Link follows behind on horseback. It’s brief, and fleeting, but it’s  _ something _ , and Link clings to it as he cuts down another Moblin that’s in his path. 

Link crosses another bridge and turns a corner, and the Zora’s Domain rises into view, luminous spires and delicate architecture marred by the harsh downpour of rain. Zora whisper as Link walks past, and he sees fleeting recognition in the eyes of some of them as he makes his way towards the throne room. 

King Dorephan is a giant blue Zora, his face impassive as Sidon explains that Link is going to help him rescue Mipha. An elderly Zora much closer to Link’s height splutters on in the corner, and Dorephan just sighs, loud voice deep and grumbling as he interrupts Sidon.

“We’ve talked about this, Sidon,” he says, and the elderly Zora (who Link thinks  _ must  _ be an advisor of some sort) steps forwards, jabbing a webbed finger in Link’s direction.

“You dare bring this filthy Hylian here, telling me he can save the Princess after  _ he’s  _ the reason she’s- she’s- she’s been poisoned by that  _ thing!? _ ” He screeches, moving closer to Link. “You must be a fool to trust this monster, after he let Mipha be taken over by that thing, vanishing for a hundred years just to show up now? A  _ fool _ , Sidon!” 

“YOU WILL WATCH YOUR TONE, MUZU!” Sidon roars, raising himself up to his full height. “You have always disliked Hylians, even before the loss of my sister, but it will do you good to remember that I am the Crown Prince of the Zora and I will not have you call me a fool for trying to rescue Mipha!” the Zora shouts, and Muzu pulls back, eyes narrowed and fins pressed down on his head in rage. 

“He doesn’t even  _ remember  _ her,” Muzu hisses, and with a final glare at Link he stalks out of the room. 

Link waits quietly until the King has given them their blessing, and he gives Link the armor Mipha made for the Hylian she wished to marry- it fits, but not quite right, like the armor was designed for someone barely slighter than him, with wider hips; armor designed to be comfortable for a Hylian woman, despite how the King insists it was intended for Link. 

He finds Sidon and Muzu arguing in front of the beautiful luminescent statue that takes up the centre of the town square, depicting a beautiful Zora maiden with a trident in hand- Mipha, Link assumes.

“My sister loved this Hylian, Muzu!” Sidon says, and Link wants to protest, to say  _ no, that’s not right _ , because he  **remembers** **_._ **

He remembers Mipha’s soft hands brushing over his wounded arm, the way her smile sparkled just like Sidon’s does. A soft voice telling him how she wishes they hadn’t grown up so fast, how there’s so much more pressure on them and the princess, how she wishes things could be different. 

“ _I think I love her, Link_ ,” Mipha had said, voice quiet. “ _Is that really so wrong?_ ”

A reassurance that she will always be there to heal him, the streak of defiance in her tone as she speaks of abolishing marriage laws for the Zora, the bubbling laughter at his determination to help. 

“ _Thank you, Link,_ ” she had said, smile warm. “ _It is wonderful to have a friend as loyal as you._ ” 

When Link comes back to the presence, Muzu and Sidon are staring, and his eyes are damp as he looks up at the statue depicting his closest friend. He licks his lips, turning so he can stare up at where the Waterblight Mipha howls inside of Vah Ruta, and he opens his mouth. 

“I am going to save her,” he says, his first spoken words in over one hundred years, "and I will do it with or without your help."   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi my name is bones and i'd die for prince sidon  
> this chapter was really fun to write! i'm really excited for the next chapter, where one of the blights finally makes an appearance. 
> 
> as always, you can find me on tumblr at [lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com)!


	3. vah ruta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ _Sister_ ,” he gasps as he breaks the surface of the water near Vah Ruta. He’s wearing a blue scarf around his shoulders now, and as Link hands Mipha to her younger brother, he wraps it around her. He’s crying, a smile wide on his face, forehead pressed to his sister’s, and it reminds Link why he’s doing this in the simplest way possible.
> 
> If he can reunite Urbosa with her people, Daruk with his grandson, if he can reunite Zelda with Mipha and Impa, if he can see Revali again, figure out the feelings that swell every time the Champion is mentioned; maybe everything will have been worth it.

Finding their way into Vah Ruta proves difficult, with Sidon’s vulnerability to electricity and electric arrows. It requires Link squaring off with a Lynel, getting shot twice in the side, and making the dive off of Shatterback Point into the reservoir in order to get away. The roars of the Lynel mingle with the howling of the Waterblight as Link falls into the reservoir, the crash into the water muting the world around him. For a moment he drifts under the water, eyes squeezed tight as bubbles drift around him.

He breaks the surface with a gasp, quickly swimming towards the nearest rocks to pull himself out of the water, lying on the rocks and taking shallow, rushed breaths. Link drags himself to his feet, looking over to here Sidon waits on the edge of the reservoir, and he dives into the water, beginning the swim to the edge reservoir.

“Are you ready, friend?” Sidon asks, voice serious, and Link nods solemnly, eyes hard. He feels a little silly, climbing onto Sidon’s back, but the Zora is surprisingly steady as he delivers Link to the waterfalls, and Link rushes to the top before firing arrow after arrow. Eventually, Vah Ruta screeches, the endless downpour stopping, and Sidon takes Link to the entrance. The Divine Beast is eerily quiet, no echoing howls from the Malice that rests inside.

“Be careful, Link,” Sidon says, treading water just outside the beast. “I cannot come with you, but I beg of you- bring my sister back to us, please,” he says, and Link nods, leaning down to reach for Sidon’s shoulder in the water.

“I will, friend,” Link says, voice quiet and raspy, and Sidon flashes his signature smile at him.

“Be brave always, friend!” He says, before flipping backwards in the water and swimming towards the reservoir. Link turns, Sheikah slate in hand, and looks up at the Divine Beast, hesitating for only a moment, letting fear wrap around his heart.

“Be brave always,” he whispers to himself, and with that, he steps into the Beast. 

_You’re here_ , a soft voice whispers in his mind, a raspier, broken version of the voice from his memories. _I must say…_ she pauses, as if thinking around her words, _I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived, my friend._

“Mipha,” he whispers, and she chuckles softly.

_Now Vah Ruta can be free from Ganon’s control,_ she says, _from my control._

“You too,” Link rasps, tears welling in his eyes, and Mipha’s voice takes a sad edge.

_Oh, Link,_ she whispers, and the tears start dripping down his face. _I don’t know if you can do that. But you’ll need a map…_ she begins, and Link moves forwards, bow in hand. He follows her instructions closely, avoiding the room with the main terminal the best he can. He catches a glimpse of the blight, huddled on the floor and making low, hurt moans occasionally, almost as if it’s fighting with itself. The further he gets, the louder the blight grows, and the more strained Mipha’s voice gets.

When he finally enters the room that houses the main control panel, Mipha’s voice is almost unhearable, muted by static and strained. _Please be careful_ , she begs as the Blight rises from the ground, and Link clasps a hand over his mouth when it turns to face him.

He can still see Mipha, face half concealed by the malice, her singular eye dull and unfocused. Her trident is welded to her hand by the Blight, and the malice that surrounds her makes her _huge_ , a terrifying opponent. _That thing… is no longer me,_ Mipha says in his mind, _I put up as much of a fight as I could, but it was my demise one hundred years ago_ , she whispers, and that’s when her voice fizzles out, like a torch submerged in water.

The blight screams, and Link howls right back, nocking an electric arrow and firing. It rushes him, striking with the trident over and over, sending focused malice towards Link. Link fires until he has no more arrows, hatred for the blight coursing through his veins, and with every strike he is careful to aim for the malice, to leave what remains of his friend unharmed.

“GIVE,” another hit to the malice with his sword, “HER,” a strike to the mask that covers Mipha’s face, “ _BACK!”_

His sword breaks on that strike, but the Waterblight falls to the ground with an ear-splitting scream. Link rushes forwards to catch Mipha as the Malice begins to shrivel and flake away, searching desperately for the Zora’s pulse, pulling broken armor out of the way to feel at her wrists, scarred from their contact with the Malice.

Link almost sobs with relief when he finds it, faint and fluttering under his fingertips, but _there_. Link presses a kiss to her forehead, making his way to the control panel of Vah Ruta, and pressing his Sheikah Slate against it. The moment the lights shift from reds and oranges to safe, reassuring blue, Link turns back to Mipha and lifts her in his arms.

As he exits Vah Ruta, the sun is rising to the east, and Sidon is waiting on the reservoir. Link waves the best he can while still holding Mipha, and Sidon makes the dive into the water look effortless, even in his hurry.

“ _Sister,_ ” he gasps as he breaks the surface of the water near Vah Ruta. He’s wearing a blue scarf around his shoulders now, and as Link hands Mipha to her younger brother, he wraps it around her. He’s crying, a smile wide on his face, forehead pressed to his sister’s, and it reminds Link why he’s doing this in the simplest way possible.

If he can reunite Urbosa with her people, Daruk with his grandson, if he can reunite Zelda with Mipha and Impa, if he can see Revali again, figure out the feelings that swell every time the Champion is mentioned; maybe everything will have been worth it.

Sidon swims with Mipha over his shoulders, and Link follows behind at a much slower pace. When he makes it back to the Zora’s domain, the exhaustion has hit him full force, but he hears a familiar voice coming from the throne room- it’s weak, and raspy, but it’s _her_ , and she’s alive and safe and _free_ and it sends Link sprinting up the stairs.

_“Mipha!”_ He shouts, dashing across the throne room.

“ _LINK!”_ She cries in response, pushing her way out of Sidon's embrace and barrelling into him.

And then she’s there, in his arms, so much frailer than the girl he knew, covered in scars and abrasions; but real and alive and awake. “Link, you did it,” she starts, looking him over, hands on his face, shoulders, touching every part of him she can reach like she’s making sure he’s alive. “You- you _saved_ me, you great reckless idiot, you _saved_ me, and- and are you wearing Zelda’s tunic?” She asks, and Link grins at her, bumping his forehead against hers before raising his hands to sign.

_They thought it was mine_ , he signs, watching as her eyes go wide, _and it’s good to have you back, Mipha_.

Her knees buckle, and Link catches her, holding her up as he leads her back to her father.

“You have brought back our heiress, my only daughter, and for that, we are forever indebted,” King Dorephan says, eyes damp, and Muzu can barely speak beyond his tears. Link simply nods, bowing to the King, before turning back to Mipha.

When Mipha insists on coming with, the only thing that convinces her to stay is Sidon. Mipha agrees to rest and recover until the time to battle comes; and in the end she sends Link off with a brand-new trident, modeled after the one she lost, and the promise that once the time comes, she and her brother will be behind the control panel of Vah Ruta, ready to support his fight against Ganon.

“Visit whenever you can,” she says at the gates, just before he leaves, “but don’t get distracted! Send word when you find the others,” Mipha says, pressing a kiss to Link’s cheek. “Bring her back,” she whispers, and Link nods.

“Thank you, hero!” Sidon says, shaking Link’s hand enthusiastically. “You will always be welcome in the Zora’s domain, dearest friend, and we will support you in your war on the Calamity Ganon however we can!”

Link signs a goodbye, pressing a kiss to Mipha’s forehead, and he turns to leave the Zora’s domain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> link please stop yelling your vocal cords are so out of use
> 
> one champion down! i really like this chapter, and am very excited to factor in mipha to the rest of the story. i love her so much. comments & criticism are greatly appreciated, and if you feel like throwing a few dollars my way so i can keep writing regularly, there's a link to my ko-fi on my blog @[lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com)!!!


	4. the gerudo desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chieftess looks like she’s practically been waiting for him- lounging across the throne, eyes sharp as she gazes at him. She’s young, much younger than him; only an adolescent by most culture’s accounts, but there’s something about the wisdom in her eyes and the way she’s considering him that sets her aside from the children he met in the Zora’s Domain and at Kakariko Village.

The first thing Link learns about the Gerudo Desert is that going out in the day in full Zora armor is practically suicide. Going out at night is slightly more bearable, but only just- Link has to resort to cooking, shoving aside six or so misshapen attempts at elixirs until he finally has a cooling elixir.

When the sun rises, hot and heavy over the desert, he downs the elixir in one go and does his best to make a run for it. Sand and Zora armor don’t mesh well, though, and Link is hesitant to remove it, so he trudges on, pushing through until he collapses into the shade of Gerudo Town. 

As it turns out, Link had forgotten a truly crucial piece of information about the Gerudo capital- men are not allowed inside the town. Men who try to climb the wall in an attempt to see the chieftess are threatened with spears and forcibly taken back to the Bazaar across the desert. It takes a full day and a half, a couple thousand rupees, and a  _ very  _ uncomfortable rooftop deal for Link to find a solution- the traditional Gerudo clothes accent his hips and flat stomach and the veil hides his face. 

“You look positively adorable!” the man who sold him the clothes squeals. “If you’re free to grab something to eat sometime, keep me in mind,” he says, voice switching to an unnervingly predatory tone, and Link almost falls off the roof trying to get away from him.   


He’s not exactly uncomfortable with the clothing- it’s loose and airy, lets him wander the daytime desert without cooling elixirs, but the way men stare at him when he walks by makes his skin crawl. It’s not that they’re men, no, but it’s the  _ way  _ that they look- like they’re seeing him as something less than a person, simply a hunk of meat. Link’s blood boils when a man stops him outside of Gerudo Town to ask his name, and continues talking at Link even when he ignores him, so Link marches right past the guards and is  _ so  _ relieved when they stop the man from following. 

He’s also insanely relieved that they let him in- he feels guilty, breaking the rules, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and he’s sure that somewhere, Urbosa is getting a kick out of the whole ordeal. Not a lot of people stop him as he scurries through the town square and up to the open-air throne room, although he sees a woman selling arrows and makes a note to stop by her shop later. 

The chieftess looks like she’s practically been waiting for him- lounging across the throne, eyes sharp as she gazes at him. She’s young, much younger than him; only an adolescent by most culture’s accounts, but there’s something about the wisdom in her eyes and the way she’s considering him that sets her aside from the children he met in the Zora’s Domain and at Kakariko Village. The most striking thing about her is the blue scarf draped around her waist- not traditional Gerudo clothing, but familiar, the same hue as the shirt in Link’s pack and the scarf Sidon had wrapped around Mipha.

“Yet another traveller,” she sighs, raising an eyebrow at Link. “How did you get in here?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, startlingly green eyes looking Link over, pausing at his sword and shield, and Link doesn’t miss the double take at his Sheikah Slate. “Seems you have something interesting there…” she says, and Link takes a few steps closer before the chief’s bodyguard slams her sword down on the ground. 

“You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo!” she barks, “declare you business but come no closer!” 

Riju sits up a little bit more, eyes still on the Sheikah Slate. “Wait, Bularia,” she says, “this one appears to be more than just a common traveler. Tell me, what is your name?” 

Link finger-spells his name, not trusting his still-raspy voice to not give him away.  _ I can calm Naboris _ , he signs, and Riju’s eyebrows raise. 

The chief and her bodyguard exchange hushed words, and Link watches silently until Bularia turns to him, rage in her eyes. “You’re a voe!” she says, and Link takes a step backwards. 

“Bularia, wait! A voe within our walls is a great crime, yes, but a voe who can calm Naboris? A champion?” Riju says, pausing as Bularia stands down. “Well, we’d never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa, and if you’re here to help with Naboris, you’re an ally,” she continues with a smile, and Link nods gratefully. 

“I don’t see how you can trust a stranger with something this important,” Bularia grumbles. “However, if he were to retrieve your stolen Thunder Helm…” the bodyguard trails off, and Riju’s eyes light up. 

“Ah, yes,” she says, and her grin takes on a sharp edge. “An interesting suggestion…” 

When Riju explains about the Yiga, Link agrees without hesitation, and Riju gives him a wide, genuine smile. The Gerudo soldiers look tired, hopeless, and they tell him of the missing helm and the soldier that went missing trying to reclaim it. 

Link waits until night to leave- he changes back into sturdier armor for the trip, his Zora tunic, some sturdier pants, the topaz earrings he traded several pieces of flint to a vendor for. As he waits, he sits with the sand seal he’s rented and stares out at the desert. He can feel the rumbling of the desert in time with the movements of Naboris, and he thinks of Urbosa, of all he knows about her. 

Mipha told him some things, like about her wife and children, and the way she would muss his hair just to laugh and watch him try to fix it- Urbosa was strong, in character and in spirit, and Link may not remember her, but he knows she would be proud of Riju, and he knows that she deserves to meet her descendant. 

As the moon rises over the Gerudo desert, Link sets off on his sand seal towards the Yiga Clan’s hideout, eyes focused ahead of him; but his mind is on the chieftess, on Urbosa, and Link can’t help but feel that’s how he’s been living far too much as of lately. Eyes focused on the future, what to do next, where to go, but his mind stuck in the past, sorting through hazy half-memories and trying to find the people he loved. 

He thinks of Urbosa, and fierceness fills him- he will find the people he loved, and he will not stop until he has done so. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! woo its been a while sorry  
> i know that vah naboris is typically done last and is often considered the hardest of the beasts, but my dumb ass attempted it FIRST, so link could totally handle fighting thunderblight second. i love riju and writing her has been rly fun (i think she'd be 12-14? if she has a canon age hmu bc i couldn't find anything)
> 
> thank u for reading! if you want to donate to me so i can write more regularly and 2 help me pay for college/food, i have a ko-fi account! you can find a link on my blog ([@lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com)) of you can go to ko-fi.com/A3661QR0 !!!


	5. vah naboris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sheikah Slate lights the panels it touches up blue, and he hears a cool voice exhale. _Well, well, well,_ Urbosa sighs in his mind, _You sure know how to keep a woman waiting. I can’t wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon!_
> 
> “Good to see you too, Urbosa,” Link rasps, and the Champion’s voice is dry as she chuckles.

Link doesn’t kill the leader of the Yiga Clan. He was prepared to- killing is an unfortunate reality for him, and even if he doesn’t like killing other people, he’s prepared to. But after sneaking his way through a hideout filled to the brim with cultists who want to kill him, Master Kogha ends up dropping a giant, spiked metal ball on himself and falling backwards into a pit. 

Link stands there for a moment, stunned, but he remembers where he is and why he’s here fast enough- once he has the Thunder Helm safely stowed away, he makes his way out of the Yiga hideout as quickly and quietly as possible. Dawn is just beginning to rise as he makes his way across the desert again, the sun rising high in the air as he dons his Gerudo disguise and marches into the throne room. 

Riju isn't there. Bularia is, standing next to the throne and looking displeased, and she directs Link to the chief’s bedroom. 

“You’ve succeeded,” she breaths when she sees him, eyes wide and mouth spreading into a smile. “Goddess above, you actually did it,” she continues, “I can feel the power of the Thunder Helm from here!” She pauses, looking out over the desert, towards Vah Naboris. “I am, as you have no doubt noticed, a child.” 

Link nods, and Riju’s face turns pensive. “My people look at me with nothing but warmth and compassion in their eyes, but I am no Lady Urbosa- I have tried hard to be a worthy chief, to prove to myself that I am worthy, and with the Thunderblight and the Yiga, it was if a shadow had fallen over me.” Link moves forwards, unsure of what to do, but Riju turns and smiles. “You being here is clearly the work of Lady Urbosa, somehow,” she says, grinning. “You were her friend, and you are here to save her- to save all of us.”

Riju puts the helm on, and it slumps down a little, too big for her face, but she exhales sharply and Link knows she can feel the power. Link inhales sharply, because he knows that helm, knows the familiar form of princess Zelda leaning against a tall, strong woman, the desert night stretched in front of them. 

Quiet laughter, green eyes, pointed questions that made Link’s heart thump against his ribcage. “Spill it, boy,” Urbosa had said, “have you two been getting along all right?” 

Soft, yet forceful reassurances that he is not to blame, careful hands pushing the princess’s blonde hair out of her face, words of Zelda’s dedication to unlocking her powers, mentions of the other champions. Urbosa had been calm, steady, but playful, keeping everyone on their toes- careful fingers with an elegant snap setting off waves of thunder in the distance. 

Link  **remembers** , and Vah Naboris shrieks in the desert. 

“We should go,” Riju says, and Link nods. 

The Thunder Helm saves them more times than Link can count while they board Naboris, and Link kind of desperately wishes that Riju would leave it with him. But she bids him a farewell and leaves him to change into sturdier armor before he faces the beast. 

The Sheikah Slate lights the panels it touches up blue, and he hears a cool voice exhale.  _ Well, well, well _ , Urbosa sighs in his mind,  _ You sure know how to keep a woman waiting _ .  _ I can’t wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon! _

“Good to see you too, Urbosa,” Link rasps, and the Champion’s voice is dry as she chuckles. 

_ I’d doubt you, but I can still feel Mipha,  _ she says.  _ Go get the map, Hero _ , she says, and Link sets out into the Divine Beast. Urbosa directs him through Vah Naboris, her voice dipping into static at the back of his mind occasionally. He can see the blight, clinging to the main control panel, it’s green eyes watching him, and Urbosa speaks up. 

_ I am doing all I can to hold myself back _ , she explains _ , so hurry, Hero. I don’t know how much longer I can hold this.  _

When the Sheikah Slate brushes over the final terminal, he hears the blight howl, the familiar crackle of lightning echoing around the main control room of Naboris.  _ Good luck _ ,  _ Hero,  _ Urbosa says, and Link can almost picture her wry smile.  _ See you soon _ . 

He’s almost calm when he faces the Thunderblight, because this time, he  _ knows  _ that he can save Urbosa. He knows that she is still in there, so he draws his sword (a Gerudo-styled scimitar) and slips into a fighting position. 

Link gets hit immediately. He wasn’t at all expecting the blight to be so fast, and the remains of Urbosa’s sword slice through Link’s armor like it’s paper. Pain sears through his side, vision going fuzzy, but he smells saltwater and there’s a cool pressure at his side, a melody of healing being hummed in the back of his mind. 

_ Thanks, Mipha,  _ he thinks, gasping for air, and he’s even more shocked when she replies. 

_ It was my pleasure, Link _ , the Zora princess says,  _ but please, look after yourself. _

Link rises to his feet and stares down the Thunderblight, looks at Urbosa’s dull green eyes, the pallid tone of her usually vibrant hair, the pink and black malice wrapped around her. It darts forwards again, and Link manages to dodge the strike, landing a hit with the flat of his blade that makes the blight rear up and howl again. Every hit he manages to land seems to make the blight lash out more, faster and harder dodge every time, and by the time it’s starting to slow down Link is near-exhausted and a small, constant string of curses is falling from his lips. 

In the end, just like Master Kogha, it’s not Link that kills the Thunderblight. He manages to redirect some of it’s own lightning back at it, with the use of the Sheikah Slate and pure luck, and the blight falls away as Urbosa falls to the ground. 

Her eyes are unfocused and hazy, but she grasps at his shirt as Link carries her out of Vah Naboris, the circuitry of the Divine Beast cool blue, the harsh orange of corruption faded away. She’s awake, if unsure, and the guards don’t even try to stop him, undisguised, as he carries the Champion of the Gerudo into their capital. He knows that this is against their laws, but none of the townspeople even seem to be breathing as he takes Urbosa to the throne room. Riju and Bularia meet him halfway, and Link can feel Mipha’s presence thrumming with excitement at the back of his mind. 

“Lady Riju,” he says, voice raspy and crackling, “Chieftess of the Gerudo people, I present you with your Champion- Lady Urbosa, pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris,” he continues. He’s putting on a show, and Riju can tell, straightening her back and looking down at him. 

“You break our laws by entering this sacred town, voe,” she says, “but you have defeated the Thunderblight, calmed Naboris, and returned our Lady Urbosa to her people,” she continues, gesturing, and Bularia takes Urbosa from his arms. “We will allow this trespassing until Lady Urbosa awakens fully,” Riju informs him coolly, but there’s a sparkle in her eyes. 

A cheer rises up from a merchant, a cry of joy and celebration at the return of their Champion, and Link smiles brightly at Riju.

The chieftess allows herself to smile back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> urbosa is hard to write, and this chapter is 200 or so words longer than i wanted it to be, but we did it! 2/4 beasts down! next chapter will have his farewell w/ urbosa and riju + meeting yunobo!! (i know the man in gerudo town thing is kind of. unrealistic? but riju is the Boss and link did just bring back their champion, so, i figure people wont cause too much of a fuss if link's there for like, two days.) 
> 
> as always, my tumblr is [@lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com), where you can find a link to my ko-fi account if you want to donate!


	6. death mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daruk, who hits Link playfully, but hard enough to knock him over, Daruk, who tells him not to worry about Zelda, Daruk, who calls Mipha and Revali worrywarts and Daruk, who steps in front of an avalanche of rocks without hesitation, if only to protect Link.
> 
> Link remembers, and his heart hurts.

“You, Link,” Urbosa says, “are a magnificent idiot.”

It’s only been half a day, and the Gerudo Champion is already sitting up in bed, smiling widely at Link. Riju had come to Link and explained what their doctors had said about her condition- there’s so much scarring from the malice, and there’s still stone embedded in her legs, bone-deep. Even with Riju having sent for a Zora healer, it’s likely that Urbosa will never walk again. 

But Urbosa is still smiling,  _ beaming  _ at Link, arms spread wide so he can collapse into her arms. “You did so well,” she says, running her hands through his hair, “and I am so,  _ so _ proud of you.” 

_ We both are _ , Mipha’s voice calls from inside his mind. 

“But, you have work to do still,” Urbosa says, her smile sad. “Where do you plan to go next?”

_ Death Mountain _ , Link signs, and Urbosa’s eyebrows raise.  _ I have some heat-resistance gear that should get me to a place where I can buy fireproof elixirs _ , he explains. 

“Not to the Rito?” Urbosa asks, the unasked question hanging heavy between them.  _ Not to Revali?  _

Link shakes his head no, and bids Urbosa farewell, wishing her well and smiling softly when she presses a kiss to his forehead and ruffles his hair, just like she used to. 

Shrine-travel makes the journey to Death Mountain far shorter than it would have been walking- he teleports back to the Zora’s Domain, lets Mipha heal his bruises and scrapes, and sets off towards the looming volcano in the distance. 

The woman standing near the base of the mountain tells him three fireproof elixirs should get him to Goron City, and Link looks once to the feeble amount of rupees in his wallet before purchasing a single elixir. He manages to glide from the Eldin Tower right into a batch of hot springs, where he sits in the near-scalding water until his clothing is soaked- even now, if he didn’t have the ruby circlet from the Gerudo Town vendor, he isn’t sure he’d be able to do this. 

Link sprints until his clothes are dried, and then some, only pausing to down the fireproof elixir when he feels his skin start to blister. Mipha’s displeasure at his recklessness hums in the back of his mind, mingling with Urbosa’s amusement, and as Link scrambles over rocks and tears across the stone paths, he can feel the elixir start to wear off. Goron City comes into view, and Link dashes over stones and jumps over a rolling Goron that’s in his path, darting into the clothing store and shoving the remainder of his rupees into the shopkeeper's hands before pulling the Flamebreaker armor over his head and sighing in relief. 

_ Sorry _ , he signs sheepishly to the shopkeeper, who just sighs and shoos Link out of his store. 

Goron City is beautiful, when you’re not panicking about being lit on fire by superheated air, Link discovers. There’s something familiar about the rock under his feet, about the dry air on his skin, the volcano above him, the rumble of Gorons rolling through the city. 

Finding the leader of the Goron isn’t hard- he’s cursing loudly about Vah Rudania, and his sore back, and about someone called Yunobo being late. 

“So, you’ve come to pay your respects to me, the great Bludo?” He asks, and Link just nods along. 

Bludo eventually asks Link to fetch the young Goron, Yunobo, from the abandoned mines, and something in Link’s chest squeezes about the loud demeanor and confidence of the Boss. 

As promised, the abandoned North Mine is filled to the brim with monsters, and Link spares them no mercy as he cuts through their ranks. He’s still angry, so angry, about losing his friends and his memories, and the Fire-Breath Lizfalos feel his rage as he makes his way across the abandoned mine. 

He makes it to the other end, doused with sweat and panting, and he uses one of the cannons and the bombs his Sheikah Slate generates to blast open the cave he can hear whimpering from behind. 

There’s a familiar red glow around the Goron boy that fades as he approaches, giving way to the muttered “Oh man, oh man, oh man…” that falls from his lips. “What am I gonna do!?” He asks, still unaware as Link approaches behind him. 

Link clears his throat, and the Goron before him panics. 

“MONSTERS! They’re here, they’ve found me, help!” he cries, running in circles around the small cave. Link has to stifle laughter as the boy comes to pause, turning to face him- that’s when Link notices the scarf around the boy’s neck. 

It has the same achingly familiar aura around it, similar to the scarf Sidon had returned to Mipha, and Link curses internally because he just can’t remember. 

Yunobo is a sweet kid, he decides. Nothing like Riju, who was all sharp edges in both appearance and personality, no, Yunobo has a round face and a soft personality, with wide childlike eyes that shine when he mentions Boss. Link leads him back to Goron City, picking off the few monsters who have manages to occupy the space left by the Lizfalos Link mowed down before, and they end up back with boss. 

“He saved me, Boss!” Yunobo explains, gesturing back to Link, and Bludo peers at him. 

“Ah, the tiny traveller,” he says, before shuffling through his things and handing Link several fireproof elixirs. “Hylians like you need that sort of thing, right?” He asks, stretching, before turning to face the volcano. “Now, It’s time for me to go chase that thing off,” he says, “no disrespect to Daruk’s legacy, of course, but I ain’t gonna let Rudania wreak any more havoc.” 

Link perks up at Daruk’s name, hands repeating the name-sign as he looks questioningly at Bludo, who promptly points Link to the statue hewn from the mountain’s side, far above the city. 

Link’s eyes widen, and he feels his knees give out; and suddenly, he’s standing on the back of Vah Rudania. 

“I think I’m finally getting the hang of this Divine Beast,” Daruk confides in Link with a chuckle, nudging him with what Link thinks was supposed to be a friendly elbow to the side. Righting himself proves difficult with Rudania crawling across the mountaintop, but Daruk looks delighted with his progress, and Link can’t bear to dampen his mood. “Let those other Champions know that they’d better eat their gravel if they want to keep up with Daruk!” 

In the past, Link grins and pictures a Rito that the present Link thinks  _ must  _ be Revali, huffing indignantly at the thought of eating something as lowly as  _ gravel _ . Daruk laughs at their fellow Champion with him when Link explains what made him chuckle, before turning to take in the view they get from near the edge of the volcano, the surrounding rocks picturesque to Link and delicious to Daruk. 

Daruk, who hits Link playfully, but hard enough to knock him over, Daruk, who tells him not to worry about Zelda, Daruk, who calls Mipha and Revali worrywarts and Daruk, who steps in front of an avalanche of rocks without hesitation, if only to protect Link.  
  
Link  **remembers** , and his heart hurts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> agsfhdjzklarsrAEshd i didnt put as much Yunobo as i wanted into this chapter...... more on him later, i promise!!!  
> anyways, as per usual, you can find me on tumblr at [lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com) and you can donate to me via my [ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/A3661QR0)
> 
> anyways, im super excited to write a daruk/yunobo reunion, as well as the last two divine beasts!! what are you guys looking forwards to?


	7. vah rudania

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mipha’s healing is soft around the edges of his mind, Urbosa’s comforting presence bringing him steady, and Link watches as Daruk does his best to lift his grandson off the ground.
> 
> Yunobo is crying, and Link thinks Daruk might be too, and there’s so much happiness ringing out from Daruk that Link can’t help but smile.

Bludo’s back gives out again, before he can go to “manage” Rudania, and Link takes matters into his own hands. He makes the trek to the base of the volcano itself, and he’s almost at the bridge of Eldin when he hears it

  
“PLEASE,” Yunobo screams from where he’s standing, Daruk’s protection wrapped around him and two Moblins trying to get to him, “SOMEBODY HELP!” 

Link sighs and draws his bow. 

The Moblins aren’t easy to kill, but fighting them feels like a practiced dance at this point; duck and roll, lash out with his sword, block a kick with his shield and reply with a flurry of strikes. He wrenches the horn off of the corpse of one, and quickly handles the guts of the other into his bag before the superheated air can burn them beyond use, and then he turns to the goron.

“Wow, you’re crazy strong, goro!” Yunobo says gratefully, “you’ve saved me twice now!” He pauses, and something like shame passes over his features. “I would have been in real trouble if you hadn’t shown up when you did, goro,” he says, and there’s a sad edge to his voice. 

_ Boss isn’t coming _ , Link signs, before sighing and waiting out Yunobo’s ensuing panic and frustration. 

“If Boss isn’t coming, I guess there’s nothing we can do,” he says, sighing, “guess I’ll head back now…” 

Link turns to face Rudania, pensively staring up at the Divine Beast, and he feels Yunobo hesitate behind him. “You want to board Rudania,” he says quietly, not a question, but a statement. “You’re going to kill the blight.” 

Link shakes his head, because he’s not sure if Yunobo understands, but Daruk isn’t dead.  _ Save him _ , he signs, and the Goron’s eyes widen.

“He’s my grandpa,” Yunobo says, coming to stand next to Link, watching as Rudania thrashes on the mountain under the Fireblight’s control. “I’m going to help you,” Yunobo says, voice wavering, but he has a look of determination on his face that makes Link think of Daruk. 

_ Okay _ , Link signs, a grim smile on his face _ , here we go. _

Death Mountain was never kind, and now, littered with sentries and Moblins, it’s somehow even more unforgiving, but the Gerudo scimitar in his hand is steady, and even in the clunky Flamebreaker armor, he manages to climb and maneuver well enough. Yunobo still jumps at the sight of monsters, but he follows dutifully at Link’s whistles and even blocks a hit from a Moblin using his ability- saving Link’s hide in the process. 

Link flashes him a grateful smile, and signs  _ That was brave of you, Yunobo _ , pleased with how the Goron boy flushes- Link can’t imagine how the boy would take his grandfather’s hearty praise. 

Stepping onto the Divine Beast brings a wave of vertigo, and seeing the twisting form of Daruk’s corrupted body thrashing on it’s back doesn’t help. Link hurries inside, pressing his Sheikah Slate to the panel to open the door and letting it fall shut behind him, sealing out both the blight and the heat. 

_ Hey, little guy _ , Daruk’s voice wraps through Link’s mind, fuzzy with static.  _ Always knew you’d come back! Y’know, I never stopped believing that you could save us, _ he says, and Link grins into the darkness.  _ You’d best hurry, though _ , he says, an edge of nervousness to his voice as the blight slams its fists down onto the exterior of Rudania. 

Daruk guides him through the dark, and then points him to all the different terminals until there’s nothing left but to fight the blight. 

_ You’ve got this, little guy _ , Daruk says as the Fireblight rises above him.  _ We’ve both got people waiting for us _ , he continues, voice dissolving into static, and Link grits his teeth and slips into a fighting stance. 

With every bomb Link throws, and every explosion that wracks the body of the Fireblight, Link can  _ feel _ Daruk’s pain, heightened by the connection that he shares with Mipha and Urbosa, a connection Link is now privy to. Urbosa sends down a wave of thunder when the blight cuts too close to Link with what used to be Daruk’s warhammer, apology fierce in their minds as it cracks down. 

As Daruk’s body falls, finally free from the blight, they all feel something- in the corner of his mind, a fierce tug, a pull of fear and longing and loneliness, followed by a sharp edge of pain. 

Link falls to his knees, trying to clear the ringing in his ears, the sharp pain in his temples, and he hears Yunobo call his name. Mipha’s healing is soft around the edges of his mind, Urbosa’s comforting presence bringing him steady, and Link watches as Daruk does his best to lift his grandson off the ground. 

Yunobo is crying, and Link thinks Daruk might be too, and there’s so much happiness ringing out from Daruk that Link can’t help but smile. Daruk holds his grandson, tears in his eyes and pride in every word he speaks, and Yunobo holds tight to his grandfather, sobbing with relief. 

In Gerudo Town, Urbosa runs a hand through Riju’s hair with a fond smile, the young chieftess fast asleep, head on the edge of Urbosa’s bed; she had refused to leave her ancestor’s side throughout the healing process. 

In the Zora’s Domain, Mipha knocks Sidon to the ground in the sparring ring, smiling widely as her brother praises her quick recovery and speed, and laughing as he pulls her onto the ground with him, quickly rolling to try and pin his sister. They laugh, like before, and they’re happy. 

Above Rito Village, Vah Medoh shakes with the screaming of Windblight Revali, the spirit of the Champion fighting and thrashing to be free. 

Link can see the towering rock that marks Rito Village in the distance, and he knows the fear, the longing, the pain from earlier intimately well.  

“I can’t stay,” Link explains to Daruk and Yunobo as they wait for a healer to check the damages to Daruk’s back and arms. 

Daruk smiles knowingly, patting Link on the back with enough force to knock him over. “Go get your boy, little guy,” he says, and Link flashes him a grateful smile. “I’ll be ready when you go to fight Ganon, and afterwards, we can all take a break, relax somewhere, yeah?” 

Link nods, and leaves to prepare for the trip to Rito Village. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love them so much............. daruk and yunobo deserved to get to know each other @nintendo square tf up and fight me
> 
> as always, you can find me at [lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com) on tumblr and you can donate to me at my [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/A3661QR0)!!


	8. rito village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All that Link in the present can feel is fondness, the type that makes him want to laugh and shove the Rito’s shoulder, that makes him want to shut him up by pressing his lips to his beak.
> 
> But in the past, he is silent and still, and Link wonders how much he’s still missing.

Link gets lost on his way to Rito Village. He’s not entirely sure _how_ , or why, but he tries to cross through a small forest and ends up wandering through foggy woods for _hours_. It seems every time he makes a wrong turn he ends up back at the start, surrounded by haunting, child-like laughter, and Link thinks he may be losing his mind a little bit.

Eventually, he makes his way to the centre of the maze-like forest, and as twisted, foggy paths open into a beautiful green clearing, Link suddenly understands.

“Hello,” he says, and the Great Deku Tree smiles down at him.

“Hello, child,” it rumbles, and the Koroks around it leap from branch to branch, laughing. “It has been quite some time, Hero.”

Link nods, stepping forwards to where the sword- no, _his_ sword- sits, buried into its resting place. Silent Princesses grow all around, and Link thinks of Zelda, fighting Ganon, all alone for a hundred years.

The Great Deku Tree cautions him, warning of his life force depleting, but Link places his hands on the hilt of the sword anyways. He can feel it, draining him, but he keeps his grip, clenches his jaw, and thinks of his friends.

 _You can do this, Link_ , Mipha’s voice says, and he feels the sword give a little more.

 _Don’t you give up now, Hero,_ Urbosa adds, and Link’s grip tightens.

 _You’ve got this, little guy!_ Daruk cheers, and the sword continues to slide out of the stone.

Link thinks of Zelda, fighting a 100 year war without him by her side, and he thinks of Revali, alone on Vah Medoh, corrupted by the malice, and the sword slides free.

Link thanks the Deku Tree, the Koroks, and he leaves the forest with more purpose than he came to it- his sword is secure at his back, and his eyes are on Vah Medoh over the horizon.

Hebra is cold, and harsh, and Link’s warm doublet and Spicy elixirs are barely enough to keep him going through the tundra. But he can see Vah Medoh circling in the sky, closer with every step, and there’s a feeling in his gut that he needs to be walking faster.

Rito Village is in a state of chaos when he arrives. Vah Medoh shakes in the air with the screaming of the Windblight, and there are several Rito packing their things and readying themselves to leave.

“What’s happening?” He asks a panicked-looking Rito woman with several young children.

“Vah Medoh is- it’s _terrifying_ ,” she says, “One of our best warriors, Harth, was injured grievously in an attempt to calm the Windblight- only fools are crazy enough to stay here,” she continues, before grabbing her children and continuing on her way.

He finds a woman, a pink Rito, and her son in the village still. “If you are here to tell me to leave, I am afraid you are on a failing mission,” she says resolutely, and Link can see a Rito-styled sword on her back.

“I am not,” he says carefully, “I am here to calm the Windblight.”

The woman introduces herself as Saki, and points out the Flight Range to him. “My husband, Teba, he is there, planning to go to Medoh himself,” she explains. “You’ll need something warmer than that, boy-” she gestures to Link’s frost-covered doublet “-did you think it would be enough to withstand the tundra?” She clucks and shakes her head. “Take these,” she hands him a Snowquill tunic and headdress.

“They belonged to an old friend, but they will be put to much better use by a hero like yourself than sitting in my trunk,” she insists when Link protests. “Now, if you leave from that platform there- Revali’s Landing, it’s called, after the Champion- you can fly right down to the Flight Range to find my Teba.”

Link looks at the landing, heart heavy in his chest, and Saki puts a gentle wing on his shoulder.

“Are you alright, boy?” She asks, and there’s the concern of a mother behind her warrior’s mien.

“Yes,” Link replies, voice shaking. “I will be okay,” he continues, mostly to himself, and he lets Saki lead him to the platform.

Link steps onto Revali’s Landing, and he **remembers.**

Vah Medoh soars through the sky, unaffected by the malice it now bears, and Link watches from the ground. Wind whips around him, sudden and unexpected, and Link can’t help but think the dark feathers of the Rito look rather nice in the sunlight.

“Impressive, I know,” Revali says when he lands, and in the past, Link makes a bored looking face. “Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky, yet I have made an art out of creating an updraft that allows me to soar.”

Revali brags, and picks at Link, and the Link in the past just _looks_ at him, unimpressed. He’s annoying, and stuck up, and all things considered, really just rude, but all that Link in the present can feel is fondness, the type that makes him want to laugh and shove the Rito’s shoulder, that makes him want to shut him up by pressing his lips to his beak.

But in the past, he is silent and still, and Link wonders how much he’s still missing. Just how much did their relationship change? Did they ever make it to the point where Link _could_ wrap his arms around the Rito or to kiss him just to watch him stumble over his words? Or were they cordial and ice-cold to each other all the while?

Saki’s voice, calm and kind, pulls him back to the present, but Link’s heart hurts with everything left unsaid, and he is not listening. He sprints and leaps off of Revali’s landing, relishing the way the cold air whips at his face and clothes, letting himself fall just enough before pulling out his paraglider.

His face is hot, and he can feel the tears threatening to spill down his face, but Link’s head is clearer than it’s been since he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection.

He knows Mipha’s soft smile, the way she loves so fiercely and holds herself up with such pride. He knows Urbosa’s sparkling eyes, her playful smile, the passion that she led her people with, the way she looked at her descendant with such love. He knows Daruk’s laughter, hearty and infectious, his bravery, the way he stands to protect any and all the best that he can.

Link knows Revali, somewhere deep inside him, and as he approaches the Flight Range, he knows that he will save the Champion of Vah Medoh if it is the last thing he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOOO BOY THIS WAS PAINFUL TO WRITE  
> we are so close!!! to the end!!! go save ya boy link you can do it
> 
> next chapter: teba! and also revali!
> 
> also, hey, hello: i am a poor college student, and while i adore being able to write fic and love people being able to read it for free, if you have a little extra cash that you would want to donate, it would be much appreciated! [you can donate to me here.](https://ko-fi.com/A3661QR0)


	9. vah medoh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Link reaches for the control panel, his mind is bombarded with a wave of pain and the gasp of a familiar voice cracking as it says _i’m so sorry_ , and then a wave of near-solid wave hits his back.

Teba scoffs at Link at first, until he tells the white Rito that his wife sent him- that’s when Teba starts looking at him like something more than an annoyance.

“My wife knows how to pick a warrior, kid,” Teba informs him, and Link kind of gets the feeling he’s talking about himself. “Can you shoot?” 

Link resists the urge to scoff, simply nodding instead. Teba nods to the updrafts and the targets, giving him a goal of five targets in three minutes. Link doesn’t hesitate in jumping over the ravine, his paraglider carrying him upwards with the draft, before he just… lets go. 

His glider is attached to his waist by rope, and when he lets go it collapses and falls against his lower back, right where it’s supposed to be as he draws his bow. It’s almost as if time slows around him as he aims, falling through the air with such purpose, lining up shots one after another. 

In the back of his mind, he remembers Revali teaching him how to fall like this, how to shoot in the air like a Rito warrior does. 

He gets so distracted by the thought he almost forgets to catch himself- but he does, and the updrafts carry him back to Teba. 

“That’s a Rito way of fighting,” he says, and Link just nods. “Well- I can get you to Medoh, but no promises about helping with your fool’s quest of  _ saving  _ the Windblight.” 

“He was a hero, once,” Link says before he can stop himself. “Maybe he was a fool, and maybe I am a fool for trying to save him, but if he can be saved- do you not think he deserves at least that, after a century of suffering?” 

Teba is quiet for a moment, before turning away from the Hylian. “I’ve never cared much for heroism,” he says quietly, “and I always swore I would be the one to defeat the Windblight should it ever show it’s face- but you’re right, boy. If what you say is true and you can save the Champion,” Teba pauses, searching for the right words. “No matter what the Windblight has done, Revali should not be tried for his crimes.” 

With that, he turns, and Link follows him- two warriors set for Medoh, the sunset streaking the sky orange. 

It’s dark by the time Teba’s flown him up to Medoh, but their targets of the defense system gleam corrupted red in the night sky. Bomb arrows make quick work of them- but Teba takes a pointed laser to the wing, so he drops Link on Medoh’s back and then flees with fleeting apology and wishes of luck.

The Windblight is waiting for him- awake, on Medoh’s back, red and black seeping through what used to be beautiful navy feathers. Revali’s eyes are blank and empty, peering out around the stone that mingles with the malice, what remains of the precious bow Revali once carried by his side, and it just… watches. It doesn’t attack, and it isn’t being held down by the spirit of Revali like the Thunderblight and Fireblights were, it’s just still. 

“Revali?” Link asks, voice cracking. The Windblight just stares. 

WIndblight Ganon flinches away when Link reaches for it’s face, but it makes no move to stop him as he makes his way through Vah Medoh and activates the terminals.  

As Link reaches for the control panel, his mind is bombarded with a wave of pain and the gasp of a familiar voice cracking as it says  _ i’m so sorry _ , and then a wave of near-solid wave hits his back. 

Daruk’s protection wraps around him and saves him from hitting the ground, like a hug from the man himself. Link stumbles and turns, and the Windblight looks as if it’s at war with itself, struggling to pull itself towards Link. 

And Link knows he should be smart, should be calculating, but the same anger the Waterblight instilled in him blanks his mind, a wave of wind roaring in his ears as he charges towards the Windblight. 

Link’s mind is a heady cloud of  _ save Revali save Revali save Revali _ as his sword meets the malice over and over again- this is nothing like the rage it took to save Mipha, no, Link is angry and desperate and  _ hopeful _ , like a hand is finally reaching through the darkness for him. 

He is ripped from his thoughts, everything clear as the cloudless sky around them, when his sword meets flesh instead of malice or stone. 

The malice crackles and melts away, stone falling and cracking apart on Medoh’s back as Revali crumples, Link falling to his knees to catch the Rito, letting the Master Sword clatter to the ground. “No, no, no,” he says as Revali chokes out a breath, wings coming up to fold across the wound. 

“Idiot,” the Rito manages to splutter out, and Link is crying as he holds him. “I wait a century just to get stabbed by a foolish hero and die,” he continues, and his breathing is so weak. 

“You’re not dying,” Link says, and his voice is firm through the tears. “Not while I can save you,” he says, “when  _ we  _ can save you.” 

Mipha’s presence is there, and he can tell she’s crying too, but the same saltwater coolness of her powers is still in his veins.  _ If you die, I’ll kill you myself, Revali _ , she warns, voice wavering.  _ You need to be around to help us save Zelda _ , she continues, and Revali manages a laugh. 

_ Selfish fish _ , he thinks, and Mipha’s reply is soft and fond. 

_ Foolish bird, _ she admonishes, and Link presses his hands to the wound, sticky with blood. 

A prayer to Hylia leaves his lips as the blue power washes from his hands, and Link pours every fond memory he has into the healing, pours all the love and joy Revali has ever bought him into sealing the wound. Mipha’s joy at being freed, the pride on Urbosa’s face when she met Riju, Daruk and Yunobo’s first meeting, every scene of happiness and joy Link has seen on his journey pours out of him. 

Blue light spills from him, into Revali, across Vah Medoh’s back, lighting up the sky. Teba and Saki watch below, their child clutched in between them, staring up at the Divine Beast. Across Hyrule, Urbosa and Riju watch the sky light up to the north, and Yunobo points the glow out to Daruk as the skies to their west fill with light. Sidon holds Mipha’s hands as she prays for her friend to heal, lit blue by her powers. 

In the skies above Rito Village, a glow subsides, and Revali’s eyes open- no wound in his abdomen, no malice burning his skin. Scarred and war-torn, but looking up at his hero and smiling the best he can.

“Making me wait a hundred years was a bit indulgent, don’t you think?” Revali asks, and Link shoves at his shoulder and laughs, holding the man he loves in his arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> link: champion revali found dead on vah medoh  
> mipha: is he ok?  
> link: yeah he's fine but he's dead
> 
> ONE CHAPTER LEFT HOT DAMN!!!! we're almost there folks!!! we've almost finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! holy fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (reminder that you can [donate to me to support my works!!!](https://ko-fi.com/A3661QR0) thank u for reading either way!)   
> my tumblr is [lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com) & i love u


	10. calamity ganon || after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’ll kill you if you die,” Revali warns, and Link laughs, pressing their foreheads together.
> 
> “Then I suppose I’ll just have to come back alive,” he replies.

Revali wants to ask Link to stay, more than anything, but he knows if he did, his hero would, so he doesn’t. Instead, he arms his hero with his favorite bow, nuzzles his head with his beak, and makes him promise to come back to him alive.

“I’ll kill you if you die,” Revali warns, and Link laughs, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Then I suppose I’ll just have to come back alive,” he replies, and then he leaves. Revali does not wish him luck, as he did once in the past, but instead pilots Medoh and takes aim at the castle. 

The Champion’s connection is buzzing with anxieties and worries, Revali and Mipha’s ends of the link clouded with fear for Link and Zelda. Even Urbosa is anxious- she’s been helped to her beast by Riju, who is steady by her side as she takes aim at the castle. Sidon is waiting anxiously at Mipha’s side for any news as Vah Ruta’s primary weapon powers up, ready to help is sister whenever needed. Yunobo is standing on Death Mountain, looking anxiously up at Vah Rudania, where Daruk sits, readying his beast to fire. 

Revali stands alone, and he thinks of Link, standing alone, facing Hyrule Castle. Link gazes up at the castle, at the Guardians that surround it, at the Malice-infected monoliths around it- and he thinks of Zelda, sweet and smart and brash and brave. 

In Hyrule Castle, Link steps into an open space and looks up at the golden light leaking from Calamity Ganon. 

_ Link… Link….  _ **_Link!_ ** _ ,  _ Zelda says, voice strained,  _ I’m sorry… but my power isn’t strong enough… I can’t hold- _

That’s when chaos erupts. The beam Calamity Ganon fire carves out the edges of the room, narrowly missing Link. Calamity Ganon falls from the ceiling, a monstrous creature that reminds like of his friends, rotted at by the malice- and when Ganon crashes through the floor, he takes Link with him. Link’s paraglider unfolds, and he floats to safety, skidding to a stop on the smooth ground as the beat circles itself before coming to face him; jaws opening in a terrible roar. 

Link draws the Master Sword, power humming through his limbs, and roars right back. 

On Vah Medoh’s back, Revali watches as Hyrule Castle collapses in on itself, and he grits his beak. “I suppose my moment has finally come,” he says, raising a wing to point at the castle, “brace yourself, Ganon, for the sting of my revenge!”

“This will be our final opportunity,” Mipha says, raising both hands, tears glimmering in her eyes, “and we  _ will not fail.”  _

Daruk’s fists slam together and he grins, bright and brash. “Let’s go, little guy! Now, Ganon, open up wide!” 

“Hold on, Princess,” Urbosa says, raising her fingers into the familiar snapping position; and she can’t help the grim smile that spreads across her face, “our moment has arrived!” 

In the chamber beneath Hyrule Castle, light spills onto Calamity Ganon like a meteor shower. Clean, pure blue rains down, slamming into the beast, and the moment it clears, Link charges. 

Here’s the thing about saving the world- it’s not easy to do alone, but Link is not alone anymore. 

Mipha’s healing stitches wounds in his arms and side with careful precision and familiar light, and Daruk’s Protection keeps the Calamity’s sword from slicing through him whenever he makes the mistake of dropping his guard. Urbosa’s lightning shakes the chamber and pushes the Calamity to the ground in time for Link to run the Master Sword through it’s side, and Revali’s updraft carries him out of the way of an attack and into better positions to shoot from. 

It makes the fight leagues easier, the blessings of his friends and fellow Champions, but as Link fights, it’s clear why the sword chose him. He’s fast and graceful as he slashes through the beast’s Malice-coated body again and again, rolling out of the way of attacks and switching from his sword to his bow with ease. 

When Calamity Ganon spills onto Hyrule Field, taking the shape of a giant, sickly boar, Zelda’s power starts to spill through. The Bow of Light appears in Link’s hands, and Zelda’s holy power burns targets on the Calamity’s skin.

It’s a fight Link knows he has fought before. He remembers a possessed princess, an evil beast; his mind conjures evil sorcerers and thief kings. A pirate-turned princess wielding the same bow he does now, an islander boy wielding the same sword he does now. A girl goddess, a boy hero, and the fight that began it all. Zelda’s voice is quiet in his mind, a gentle reminder that she is here with him, even if he cannot see her. 

_ Courage need not be remembered,  _ she says,  _ for it is never forgotten _ . 

An updraft carries Link into the air, and he thinks of the heroes before him, and the heroes that will come after him, and all of the heroes who haven’t quite existed but are still there, at the edges of his soul; and Link raises the Bow of Light and looses the final arrow. 

“Do you really remember?” Zelda asks, after, and Link nods. She crashes into him, a tight hug, and she looks up and blinks away tears. “And- the Champions? Are they-?” 

Link nods once more, and Zelda’s tears are ones of joy. 

Here’s the thing about saving the world- there’s no instructions for what comes after. He takes Zelda to the Zora’s Domain, because she asks, and he is still her knight, even if she has no kingdom to rule. All of the Champions are waiting for them, and there’s something soft and hesitant in Zelda’s smile as she reaches for them. Not even Hylia herself could have stopped Link from throwing himself at Revali, holding the other champion tight. 

"Told you I'd come back alive," he snarks, before burying his head in the crook of Revali's neck.   


They all end up in Mipha’s chambers, half-piled over each other, careful not to jar their lasting injuries and the stone embedded in Urbosa and Daruk’s skin skill. Zelda and Link are given new clothing, and Link returns the Zora armor to Mipha; who flushes and promises she’ll give it to Zelda after making a few tweaks and repairs. It’s quiet, and calm, and there’s a century old bond that pulls them tight. 

The next day, before King Dorephan, Urbosa swears the Gerudo’s fealty to Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Daruk follows, kneeling before her, and pledges the Goron. Revali has no right to pledge for his people, but he is proud, and he is influential, and while he does not speak for the Rito, his pledge to serve at her side says more than enough. 

“I do not pledge fealty on the behalf of my people,” Mipha says, with a pointed look at Dorephan, “only on the behalf of myself. In this, Princess Hyrule, and presenting you with the gift of Zoran armor,” she nods, and Sidon carries a chest forwards and places it before Zelda, “I would ask for your hand in courtship, and if it pleases you, marriage.” 

“It would be my honor to accept your hand, Champion Mipha,” Zelda replies, and despite her lofty tone, she’s smiling bright. 

Revali’s wingtips find their way to Link’s hand, and the knight smiles softly, watching the future unfold before him. 

“You’ve done well, Hero,” Revali says quietly, and Link squeezes the feathers held in his hand. 

“I won’t pretend it was easy,” Link replies, “but I only did what needed to be done.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT! ITS OVER! aaaaaaa im very proud of this work and how it turned out, and i want to thank each and every one of you for the comments and support that you've given <3 i hope all of you loved this story as much as i did. 
> 
> as always, my tumblr is [lightningb0nes](https://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com), and you can leave me a tip on my [ko-fi!](https://ko-fi.com/A3661QR0)
> 
> i have another zelda fic in the works, but it might be a while before any of it is posted, but i may post a couple of oneshots/drabbles set in this verse in the meantime.

**Author's Note:**

> hi! welcome 2 the multichapter installment of this series! post this prologue there will be two chapters per area/champion + an epilogue, making 10 chapters in total (most of which will be much longer than this)! i hope you enjoy! title is from "whatever you wanted" by onerepublic
> 
> my tumblr is [@lightningb0nes](http://lightningb0nes.tumblr.com)


End file.
